Print ready hola mahigh school volume 3 issue 3 2013

Your Life Magazine

VOLUME 3 Issue 3 2013

WINBIC Hampers!

page 44

Michelle Obama : A Remarkable Woman

Science

IQ or EYE Q?

Before answering the question of how one becomes a filmmaker it is important to outline the scope of the film & TV industry.

The Film & TV industry also referred to as the digital media or audiovisual industry, forms part of the very complex and varied media, entertainment and cultural industries.

There is broadcast television with its news, sports, investigative journalism, inserts, magazine, sitcoms, game and talk shows which involve an assortment of production, research and studio skills.

Then there is what is commonly known as ‘long form’ - the mostly location-based television or drama series, or features. There is also animation, corporate or documentary productions. And lastly of course the gem

Gauteng Film Commission, 56 Main Street, Johannesburg 2001, South AfricaTel +27 (0) 11 833 0409 • info @gautengfilm.org.za

An agency of the Gauteng Provincial Government

of the advertising world, the commercial.

Choosing a career in the film and television industry is exciting for any young person. But along with the excitement, perceptions of glamour and trendy associations, comes a lot of hard work, dedication, jostling for jobs and long, long hours. In spite of these demanding conditions, many people find the creativity and excitement of bringing a film to life more than makes up for the hard times. You too can realise your dream of being part of this sector if you do the homework, understand the industry and go about the journey in the correct way.

For more information on the film & TV industry as well as information on educational institutions which offer filmmaking courses you can visit the Gauteng Film Commission website on www.gautengfilm.org.za

How do I become a filmmaker?

>>>HOLA MAHIGH-SCHOOL >>>HOLA MAHIGH-SCHOOL 32

CONTENTS CONTENTS04Editor’s Letter 08Meet some of our Contributors 09Holla @ USConnect with us

10Really Silly FactsExtracts from “Extraordinary Book of Facts”, by Uncle John 12 In Our Next Issue

14Indigenous Languages Another Take 15Scifest AfricaA remarkable event

20IQ or Eye Q Had a gr8 time tnk 4 ur present...

22Famelab SA 2013 WinnerMichelle Knights and friends

24SA InventionsSome of the very best in the world

25My First Credit CardHow to cope with a Credit Card

26Fashion in a Different Light

30SKA The super computer to interpret all data generated

34The Quotes Game

36Sport But different 37Book Review

38Michelle ObamaA person in her own right

40How good are you at logical thinking?A few things for you to think about 42North KoreaFacts, fiction, myths & lies 44CompetitionWin BIC Hampers

15

25

4

26

40

42

4 >>>HOLA MAHIGH-SCHOOL

From the Editor

We are back! Finally! Any publication depends on advertising and this was hard to come by. I know we have not published for months, but we are back. We are here. And we intend to stay here.

Let us dive into the positive stuff immediately:

Thapelo is on SKA again. Thapelo has selected one piece of all the interesting aspect of SKA: The Super computer to drive it all. Where is it going to sit? Who will programme it? What exactly is it going to do? These are very hard questions and thanks to the SKA staff, I think Thapelo can present a fair view on this.

Lerato has an interesting piece on reading. This is so critical in today’s environment. You have to be able to consume tremendous amounts of text and make sense of it all. This article can get you going in terms of reading.

This issue is being distributed at the Department of Higher Education and Training’s conference. You will find a 4-page pull-out on the conference, edited by Fikile. Fikile is, by the way, our first employee! We are very proud of this fact. We are moving.

We have three new writers with us: Fikile, Ray and Sifiso. Fikile is looking into the never-ending story: languages. This is a recurring topic and I think we all look forward to the next “chapter” in this tale. There are so many things impacting us and language is of course one of the most important factors in our lives.

Ray is looking at a remarkable person. Michelle Obama. She is a person in her own right, not just a shadow of Barak. Ray has done a wonderful job on a difficult topic… and Michelle is a rather interesting personality.

Sifiso has dived into the world of fashion. Male fashion this time. He is in grade 10 and one of our youngest writers and he has a lot of opinions about this topic. This is an article I had great joy in reading. I hope you have too. Sifiso is an upcoming star (well, all our writers are, really), but here is a person to look out for.

Rofhiwa takes us to North Korea this time. This is a country of which there are more rumours and lies than facts. North Korea might be able to start a nuclear war in the world but is it all true?

An article to read: My first credit card by Rose. Yes, you will soon be there, but how are you going to manage that? … and then I could not resist it. There is a nice little “challenge” in terms of logical thinking. Enjoy and don’t despair. A math teacher gave up on one of them.

Of course the quotes are there! I love doing those.Enjoy the read!

Sybil

Editor’s Letter

My story is about rocks which resisted being struck,

My story is South African women yesterday.

My story is South African women yesterday.My story is the past.

My story is yesterday’s hope,My story is today’s freedom.

My story is questions to generations today,What is your hope, your vision?

What is your legacy to generations tomorrow?

My story is the legacy left by South African women yesterday,

My story is today’s freedom. By Aliaah

My story is South African women yesterday,My story is the past.

It is connected from the hearts of those who suffered,

And those who survived, It is connected to the mind.

My story is a good teacher, learn from it,My story is South African women yesterday.

My story is South African women yesterday,The flames of hunger,

Lions of yesterday,Which roared with anger for freedom.

Women who bore fruits of black diamonds, us,

Women who deserve a Nobel prize for their existence.

Have you considered the number of career options within the Finance and Accounting sector?

From the exciting, edge-of-your-seat world of

stockbroking to the highly valued practice of

financial planning, the Finance, Accounting,

Management Consulting and other Financial

Services (Fasset) Sector has a career for every

aspiring number cruncher. Just some of the

many careers in the finance and accounting

sector include accountancy, bookkeeping,

debt collecting, tax practitioning and

accounting technicians. There are so many

opportunities available in the fields of finance

and accounting that the possibilities are truly

endless.

BLA

CK

MO

ON

108

35

10835 HolaMyHighSchool Sept 12.indd 1 2012/08/25 2:58 PM

Women of South Africa – My Story

WHO IS NADSC?The project came about when the Memorandum of Agreement was signed between the Ekurhuleni East College for Further Education and Training, the Department of Higher Education & Training represented by the Chief Directorate INDLELA. The project commenced on the 16th June 2012.

The Artisan & Technician Development Technical Task Team (ATD-TTT) the stakeholder representative body established by the Human Resource Development Council (HRDC) of South africa has, through its work-plan, identified the three primary blockages to a national artisan development programme. These three blockages were tabled before the Human Resource Development Council on 15 June 2012 and unanimously endorsed for removal by relevant implementing partners. These three blockages are the lack of:

• Detailed,accurate,currentdateforartisantrade prioritisation,workplacesandplacement,scientific targetsetting,monitoring;

• Asingleguaranteedfundingmodelforallartisantrades listed in the Government Gazette applicable to all sectors including a single artisan learner administration and grant disbursement system; and

• AnArtisanRecognitionofPriorLearning(RPL)system that is focused on supporting persons who are working as support workers in the Engineering field to become certified artisans.

THE NADSC WAS ESTABLISHED TO ADDRESS THE FIRST ARTISAN DEVELOPMENT BLOCKAGE IDENTIFIED BY THE HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL.

Someoftheservicesoffered:• Matching&supplytodemandaspercompanycriteria• Studentworkplacement.•Interviewpreparationsession.•Afterplacementcare.

MISSION:• Providelearnerswithworkplacepracticalexperience,and also to equip learners with necessary skills for them to pass their trade test and become qualified artisans

• Addressthescarceskillsshortageinthecountryby developing artisans, creating better employment opportunities.

VISION:• ToprovidesupporttotheNationalArtisanDevelopment programme by facilitating the placement of (artisan/ engineering learners) from all 50 FET colleges on learner ship programmes with industry partners.

• TobeleadersintheArtisanDevelopmentandtoproduce high quality artisan tradesman in the country.

OBJECTIVES:• LinkSETAswithEngineeringgraduatesfromFETcolleges.• LinkapprovedartisanworkplaceswithFETcolleges.• Matchingofsupplyanddemandorartisanlearners.• OperateandmanageaNationalArtisanDatabaseforboth supply and demand.• Recordingandreportingonallartisanrelateddateto remove the first LHRDC artisan development blockage.• Trackandtraceartisanlearnersfromregistration, certification and employment.

GOALS:• AssisttheNationalDevelopmentplanofproducing 30 000 qualified artisans per year by 2030.• TosupportSETAswithregistrationofallstakeholders in their respective sectors.• TosupportSETAswithregistrationofArtisanlearners, includingRPLcandidates.• Toconductapre-screeningandrecommendationof learners to stakeholders for further selection placement on the Artisan internship programme.• MaintainandmanageaNationalArtisanDatabase.• Toestablishaneffectivedatecollectionandreporting system.• Tosourceandfacilitatedevelopmentprogrammesfor Artisan placements.

NATIONAL ARTISAN DEVELOPMENT SUPPORT CENTREOne-stop-shop support centre for Artisan Development in South Africa

9>>>HOLA MAHIGH-SCHOOL

Contributors

My name is Lerato “Pree” Mofokeng. I’m currently doing matric at Midrand High. I’m a very interactive, out-going being and oh my... I love fashion!! I started writing poetry at the age of 11, along with starting art. I may be new, but I’ll surely get you to be a “Hola-Mag-Worm” lol! Although it will come with great challenges, I will not be defeated as I stand by Madiba’s quote: “I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear”.

My name is Rofhiwa Madzena. I’m a young woman who is fun and approachable, I’m a budding feminist and I strongly believe that the worth of a woman is second to none, the trick is convincing the rest of the world a challenge I’m ready for! I’m passionate about South Africa and the World and many call me naïve but I believe that we and generations that will follow will achieve world peace!

I am Thapelo Moloabi and I reside in Lenasia. I am currently doing my Grade 12 at Highlands North Boy’s High school. I’m a socialite by nature who wants to change the world. Look out for me, because it will happen.

WE ARE NOW ALL OVER THE PLACE

EditorSybil [email protected]@gmail.com

Advertising SalesNext Level Management Services cc011 614 5046/2094076 360 [email protected]

PublishingRomele Publications ccPO Box 53056Troyeville 2139011 614 5046/2094

EnquiriesRomele Publications cc32 Eleanor StreetTroyville011 614 5046/[email protected]

Production & Art DirectionSybil [email protected]

PublisherSybil Otterstrom

DistributionOn the Dot

PrintingPaarl Media

A big heads-up to your lifestyle magazine: Koketso Thubakgale

i love ur mag !u guys u rock my world!!!” – Kefentse Hope

Guys u duing a gr8 job nd m totally inlove with yo mag. – Refiloe Mawela

From our Facebook page

Follow us on Twitter@holamahighsch

My name is Monica Rose Morapama. I was born in Alexandra 22 years ago when the NP government took the first step towards dismantling discrimination and lifted the ban on the ANC and other political organisations. This is no surprise why am I into politics. And I don’t care if a reader hates one of my stories, just as long as he finishes the book, and review it.

My name is Innocent Ximba. I am a creative writer and motivational speaker. I have opinions that amaze the world and advice that the youth can relate to. Yours in creative writing, Innocent Ximbaair.


My name is Sifiso Ngwenya, a grade 10 student at Tiisetsong Secondary School. I love writing and reading stories,novels and just about every thing. I am a blogger and a socialite and I plan to write awesome articles for Hola MaHigh- School. I trust everyone will love my articles and keep reading.

My name is Fikile Unifire Zulu. First and foremost I’m a career driven, bold, diligent, go-getter and self-motivated young lady from Evaton West in the Vaal Triangle. I’m a firm believer in reading because it nurtures ones mind and makes you see the world from a new perspective. I co-founded a non-profit organistation and I also write. I love relaxing with nothing but a book and I enjoy writing.

I’m Raymond Moruku, currently in Grade 12 at Nirvana Secondary School in Lenasia. I’m the RCL president at school, uphold leadership skills that will be essential in the near future of this country. In 2013 I plan to study political science as my passion for politics speaks for itself through my current activities. I’m part of the Ahmed Kathrada Foundation leadership programme which prepares us to become future leaders and deepens non-racialisim.

As always,a bolt from the blue,here comes me!!! My name is Sello Atlegang Aliaah, a seed of today, a flower of tomorrow who lives in Soshanguve,a 16 year old who’s in Senthibele High. I’m here to knock you out,so watch out!!!


Have a Laugh Have a Laugh


All of this is from the book:“Extraordinary Book of Facts”

by Uncle John.

Frogs use their eyeballs to push food down theirthroat.

The bite of a king cobra can kill a full-grown elephant in less than three hours.

Superglue does not stick to the inside of the bottlebecause it needs moisture to set, and there is nomoisture in the bottle.

Coconut shells can absorb more impact than mostcrash helmets.

It is possible to sneeze so hard you break your ribs.Bloodhounds are the only animals whose evidence is admissible in US courts.

Tablecloths originally served as big napkins. Peoplewiped their hands and faces on them.

Hippo bites are almost always fatal. Reason: they are very large bites.

Elephants cannot jump. Every other mammal can.Hot water weighs more than cold water.

The first canned foods appeared in 1810, but the can opener was not invented until 1858.

Men get hiccups more often than women. Nobodyknows why.

Most parrots are left-handed.

Lonely parrots can go insane.

It’s impossible to lick your elbow.

In Antarctica, sunsets can be green.

Telesphobia is the name given to the fear of beinglast.

If you have keraunothnetophobia you are afraid of

satellites falling to earth.

Honey never goes off.

Popcorn eaters are three times more likely to cry in the movies than non-popcorn eaters.

To relieve a headache, tape or hold the inner side of a banana peel to the forehead and the nape of the neck. The peel increase the electrical conduc-tivity between the two spots.

Babies are born without knee caps.

On any given day, half the people in the world willeat rice.

The darker green a vegetable is, the more vitamin C it contains.

Add honey to peanut butter to resist it from stick-ing to the roof of your mouth.

If it happened before 476 AD, it is ancient. After 476 AD it is medieval.

The Incas measured time by how long it took apotato to cook.

Thomas Edison was not blind, but he preferred to read in Braille.

The acid in your stomach is strong enough to dis-solve razor blades.

Female canaries can’t sing.

Eagles can’t hunt when it is raining.

Gesturing with your hands while speaking im-proves your memory.

Brain waves have been used to run and electric train.

If a cow eats onions, its milk will taste like onions.

Look at a mealie: They all have even numbers ofrows of kernels.

Honey is easy to digest because it has already been digested by a bee.

Honey never goes bad.

Vinegar cannot go off.

Due to the rotation of the earth, an object can bethrown farther if it is thrown west.

Wood frogs freeze solid during winter and thaw back to life in spring.

Most common phobia: arachnophobia: fear of spiders. <

SportWe have loads of stuff going for us!

America is shutting down. Now, is it even possible to shut down a country? And what are the consequences. The US law governing is a bit hazy and Rofhiwa will try to make this clearer to us.

We will introduce new writers as well. We have students submitting articles and trust me, these are of a quality which we is ranking right up there. How many and who will be looked at in the next weeks.

Career in science? Sounds hard. It is. We have spoken to a “real” scientist. A young one at that. Of course immensely clever, and surprise... she does not have a pointed head. She will take you into the real world of science.

Fikile is preparing more articles and I will let that be a surprise for you.

Ray, our new writer, will get in on leadership. This will be a personal account based on his activities in different organisations. Look forward to this.

Thapelo is getting in on Nanotech. This is a strange area and will have a huge impact on our lives, because it is here in SA that developments take place.

Sport is important. This time we will look at what it takes to be world-class. Look out for this article!

Fashion: oh yes. Our new fashion guru, Sifiso, will have a look at the recent fashion shows and give you feed-back. Did you like his article in this issue? I found it both thoughtful and great.

Of course the quotes and the really silly something will be there. I have tremendous fun doing those.

Going to be a good read!In O

ur

Nex

t Is

sue

Want to study at UJ? Be CLEAR about it. Choose your subjects wisely in Grade 9. Learn well in Grade 10. Earn the good marks you need to go to university in Grade 11. Apply early with those marks in Grade 12; and Register at UJ for your first year if you are accepted. So if you want to continue studying once you finish school, then you need to put in the ground work while you’re still there. It all adds up to being CLEAR. Reach your goal of studying at UJ. Be anything you want to be. Be CLEAR about your future.

Apply before the end of September of your Grade 12 year. Visit www.uj.ac.za or call 0861 00 00 UJ

SMS Hola to 45813 or Scan the QR Code to

get more info from UJ.Standard SMS rates

apply

98367 UJ Clear Advert.indd 1 2013/04/25 9:44 AM

15

Science

>>>HOLA MAHIGH-SCHOOL

INDIGENOUS LANGUAGES

– ANOTHER TAKE –

Education


The ongoing debate when it comes to indigenous languages and where they are really headed in our country, is still a sore point. South

African literature in indigenous languages remains imbalanced due to lack of enthusiasm. Being able to read and write in any indigenous language is another way of cultivating and preserving them and to stop them from dying out.

It becomes really sad when a child, or adult, for that matter, fluently speaks English but can’t utter a word in their home language. What does that say about the culture of preserving indigenous languages?

Are our parents doing enough to encourage development of our languages? Should we blame our parents of any one else? We are all facing a hard battle of becoming culturally extinct, since languages have the ultimate power to bring nations together and forms part of who we are.

New word inventions shouldn’t be seen as language deformation, but, rather as language development in keeping them alive. Is it slang or is it development? Why do some people think “language pollution” and try to preserve a “pure” language? A language develops all by itself.

People have different attitudes when it comes to reading, writing or speaking in their languages. Some don’t mind knowing and learning more, whilst others do not see the need. However, the case may be that attitudes do play a certain role in keeping the language barriers unchanged.

When something becomes “polluted” it means that particular thing becomes filthy and won’t be of any use whatsoever. How can one possibly say an invention of new words gets the language polluted? Who should be responsible for such inventions? If it has to be decided somewhere removed from the users of a language, it might not be relevant at all.

According to the 2011 census conducted by Statistics South Africa, the most common spoken home language is IsiZulu with just over 20% of the population, followed by IsiXhosa at 16%, Afrikaans at 13.5% and English and

Setswana each at 8.2%.

With such a high number of speakers of indigenous languages, it is shocking when one tries to publish a book in any of these languages. It is often turned down (apparently) because there is no market for it. Is it because our nation is regarded as a less reading nation, or is it because our languages have taken a backseat?

When African Literature Book Shop launched The Indigenous Reading Development Programme, its aim was to help a culture of reading as well as enhance our indigenous languages and the development of Indigenous Reading (and by implication of African Literature Book Shop) depends on the availability of suitable literature in Indigenous Languages.

We cannot let the culture of our languages die. We have to continuously strive to let them live, because the annual surveys released by the Publishers Association of South Africa, indicates that the local publishing industry is dominated by the sale of English-language books standing at approximately 70%, followed by the sale of published books in Afrikaans at approximately 18% with books published in African languages combined accounts of an average 9% of net turnover.

When the then Executive Mayor of Johannesburg delivered his speech at the launch, he mentioned a few key pointers in regards to indigenous languages such as the book shop will support, inspire and expose South African writers and to create interest in writing in Indigenous Languages, to increase public knowledge of African history and culture, so as to foster pride and integration. Also to develop the talent of the youth who participate in the African Literature Development Programme and to guide them towards the world of publishing through the Centre of the Book.

If more and more elites and academics encourage people to enhance their indigenous languages, our nation will become a better read nation. Where to from here? We shall see, but, for now let us speak, read and write more in our languages. For the upcoming generation too.

By Fikile Zulu

First of all: what is the Scifest Africa? I have copied this off their official website, which explains it very well. Find out more: www.scifest.

org.za

Scifest Africa, South Africa’s National Science Festival, was established in 1996 to promote the public awareness, understanding and appreciation of science, technology, engineering, mathematics and innovation.

The project consists of two components, namely the National Science Festival held in Grahamstown, Eastern Cape in March every year, as well as regional and national outreach programmes implemented throughout the rest of the year.

Scifest Africa identifies and designs unique interactive events and educational resources with scientific integrity to advance science, facilitate learning in an informal and non-threatening way, and provide learners with a great opportunity to discover science outside the classroom.

Scifest Africa also allows South Africa and the world’s leading scientists the opportunity to share their work, make science accessible within the reach of ordinary people, network with one another, provide career guidance and act as role models for our youth, in order to encourage the youth to embark on careers and become leaders in these fields.

Scifest Africa is a project of the Grahamstown Foundation, a not-for-profit public benefit organi-sation established in 1969 and based in Grahamstown, Eastern Cape. The mission of the Grahamstown Foundation is “that all might have life and have it more abundantly”, and it realises this mission through quality awareness and education and training projects such as Scifest Africa.”It is over as you read this, but this article will give you the feel for what Scifest Africa is all about.

So, it is more than just one event and allows you all to be part of it no matter where you are! And what was Scifest Africa 2013 all about? The theme was “SCIENCE ON THE MOVE!”

The theme celebrated transport, racing and the World Land Speed Record, exploration, the universe and SKA, communications, the human body in motion, and anything else that moves!

The National Science Festival this year featured 50 exhibitions, 21 lectures, 14 Talkshops, 42 workshop titles, and more than 400 other interactive events including, but not limited to; activity zones, the Afrobot Amateur Robotics Tournament, a Children’s Science Festival,

educational theatre, field trips, a fun run, City on the move fun walk parade, A Conversation with… which enabled visitors to wine and dine with four of the high profile lecturers, a hobbies fair, iRhini Science Festival, the laser show, murder mysteries, quizzes, Science Café Series, science Olympics, site visits, a sleepover, Speed-Date-a-Scientist Series, and the incredible new Water World venue hosted by South Africa Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity (SAIAB).

Let us see what the minister for Science and Technology, Mr. Derek Hanekom, had to say: (an edited version).

“South Africa’s successful transformation to a knowledge-based economy will require an informed leadership and citizens who have an awareness, understanding and appreciation of science, engineering and technology. We will also need highly skilled researchers and innovators in these fields whose research could result in South Africa becoming a market leader in new technology products.

Scifest Africa 2013 celebrates the theme of movement by focusing on modes of transport and transport infrastructure, the physics of movement,

S c if est Af ric a : A rema rka ble event!

1716 >>>HOLA MAHIGH-SCHOOL >>>HOLA MAHIGH-SCHOOL

Science Science

the human body, communications, exploration, the universe, and anything else that moves. The programme also celebrates the geographical advantages, infrastructure and human capital that made South Africa the obvious choice to co-host the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) telescope, and to host The Bloodhound Project in its attempt to break the World Land Speed Record on Hakskeenpan, Northern Cape in 2014.

The vision and mission of Scifest Africa are well aligned with the Department of Science and Technology’s (DST) Youth into Science Strategy, which aims to enhance science and technology awareness and literacy amongst the general public, particularly the youth, and to expose young people to STEMI-related careers in order to renew the human capital required for research and development in South Africa.

The Department of Science and Technology supports the efforts of Scifest Africa in its ongoing efforts to inspire our youth through the delivery of engaging and thought-provoking experiences in science. The leading example set by Scifest Africa in the field of science awareness is also recognised by a host of general sponsors and sponsors-in-kind, and we commend and thank each of these sponsors for their investment in the festival and its outreach projects.

I encourage our learners to use this opportunity to engage with our scientists who are amongst the best in the world. This experience could be a watershed moment in your young careers. This is your time to listen, ask, discover, challenge, learn, debate and enjoy!”

Although it will be over when you read this, I want to ensure you know the extent of the 2013 event. This will give you the “feel” for 2014.

Scifest Africa basically consists of five main components:• Lectures;• Talkshops;• Workshops;• Exhibitions; and• Site visits.

The lecture series this year were: • Finding “Old Four Legs” – The history of the coelacanth• Movers and shakers: The social life of galaxies.• Science: So what?• Symmetry and the Quinunx Nexus – string theory among other things

• Project bloodhound – breaking the 1 000 mph barrier.• Meet the Millenials.• New Horizons: NASA’s mission to Pluto and beyond.• Move toward your dream.• To speak again – cancer treatment.• The antikythera mechanism: The 2 000 year old computer.• Rhino poaching and other relevant crimes.• Cultures Keratinocytes in treating large burn wounds: Pippie Kruger’s story.• Supernovae, dark energy, and robotic telescopes.• The significance of cycling cities.

These are leading cutting-edge issues that are on the world front and very inspirational.

The exhibitions were impressive:• BASF Holdings South Africa (Pty) Ltd: BASF Kids’ Lab.• The Bloodhound Project: Bloodhound SSC.• Bayworld: Movement tales.• British Council: Improving English language in South Africa.• Academy of Science of South Africa: Quest: Science for South Africa.• National Zoological Gardens of South Africa: The amazing X-factor of Nature.• South African Environmental Observation Network: Elwandle Node: Monitoring change in South African environments.• Council for Scientific and Industrial Research: The wonder of lasers.• South African Agency for Science and Technology Advancement: SciQuest,• South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity: Africa’s aquatic biodiversity• South African National Space Agency: Our space.• South African Astronomical Observatory: Reach for the stars.• Council for the Built Environment: Building a nation• Square Kilometre Array (SKA) South Africa: Something BIG.• ChemBiz: Quality in chemistry education• Esri South Africa (Pty) Ltd: Geography through GIS.• FOSST Discovery Centre: Enhancing teaching using Technology• Johannesburg City Parks: Parks in communities.• Nedbank: The Green Bank.• Jive Media Africa: Science Spaza.• National English Literary Museum: Reading our environment.• Old Mutual: Old Mutual bursaries. >>> cont.

Amateur Afrobot Robotics tournament

Green Fund run.

A learner at an interactive exhibition during Scifest Africa.

Cardboard challenge.

In conversation with Andy Green, one of the lecturers

FameLab winner MIchelle Knights.

Educational theatre.

Science show.

Sunset show.

Soap box derby.

Waterworld exhibition.

Workshop


• Oxford University Press: Science made easy with Oxford• Petroleum Agency SA: Rocks and minerals in our lives!• Rhodes University: Department of Pharmacy: Pharmaceutics at Rhodes.• PlasticsSA: Plastic recycling: Hype, green washing or a necessity?• Plastic Engineering Services: Mini PortaLABs on display• Rhodes University: Department of Botany: Plants on the move.• Roswika Media: Science Stars.• South African Air Force: Achieving results through our people.• The South African National Roads Agency Ltd: Creating wealth through Infrastructure.• Somerset Educational (Pty) Ltd: Educational resources that make a difference.• South African Weather Service: Voyage to below 40° South.• Technology Innovation Agency: Supporting SA’s technology.• UNISA, College of Science, Engineering and Technology.• University of Pretoria: Get moving at the University of Pretoria.• Village Scribe Association: Social networking on the move!

Site visits, the ultimate learning experience:

• Air school 43: Flying training.• Aquaponics: producing fish and vegetables.• Eastern Star Gallery printing and Press museum: A real printing experience.• National English Literary Museum.• Stenden South Africa Campus: A small satellite campus of Stenden University in the Netherlands Das Auto: Volkswagen in SA.• Another special feature on this year’s programme

was FameLab which “kicked-off ‘’ in South Africa for the first time 2013. FameLab is an international competition dubbed the “Pop Idols for scientists” and is running in 25 countries around the world. It seeks out new voices in science, technology, engineering and maths – developing science communication skills and profiling role-models to inspire the next generations of scientists.

Regional heats and semi-finals took place at various venues around the country, and the National Finals where held at Scifest Africa. The winner will represent South Africa in the international FameLab final in the UK in June 2013.

WHAT TO DO NOW:Well, it might be all over by the time you read all of this. However, do not despair. 2014 not far away, but you need to get mobilized now. Get your school to look at this exciting diverse programme, get funding for the trip, try to persuade your school to send a delegation. Start planning now.

This amazing event that has inspired so many learners is really too significant to miss.

What will happen in Gauteng? There is not a lot planned as of yet. The main focus is the Eskom Expo for Young Scientists, which is a great national competition for all budding scientists.

You can stand the chance to win fabulous prizes and once-in-a-lifetime opportunities!

The Department of Science and Technology (DST) also has a range of activities lined up for the rest of the year, that are implemented through SAASTA (South African Agency for Science and Technology Advancement). Look out for events and activities near you! www.saasta.ac.za.

Get involved, explore, and see where the endless possibilities of science can take you!

If you should need any contacts or ideas, I will strongly recommend that you contact our science writer: Thapelo Moloabi. Write to him through me at: [email protected]

Now back to Scifest Africa:

CONCLUSIONThis is a world class premium event, and is the largest science festival in sub-Saharan Africa. It is the “pulse” for science, technology, engineering, mathematics and innovation (STEMI), and offers that special little something for everyone!

Is it important? Absoulutely yes! Let us be absolutely frank about it: SA is at the forefront of technology in so many respects. Look at SKA, the Northern Cape’s Hakskeenpan and the attempt to break the World Land Speed Record, nanotechnology, health and other initiatives.

It is YOUR chance to know about the fields you can excel in. My recommendation: Go for it! Get on with it! Just do it! <

All photographs by Jason Hudson.

Science

GISc is the science of capturing, processing, analysing and mapping spatial data (information about the earth). The associated technology is used to explore, visualise and analyse data.

Do you enjoy Geography, Computer Science, Maths, Science, Physics and Information Technology? Do you like variety, design and working indoors, as well as outdoors? You could become a Geographic Information Systems (GIS) professional after completion of your GISc studies.

A growing variety of careers are available within a very wide range of industries, including planning, engineering, land development and management, as well as mining, architecture and mapping, both in the private and public sector.

Studying GISc at CPUT gives students the opportunity to specialise in either spatial analysis, remote sensing or data quality management.

Both our Diploma (exclusive to CPUT) and BTech courses have been accredited by the South African Council for Professional and Technical Surveyors (PLATO).

PLATO accredited course

Geographic Information Science

For more information, visit:http://bit.ly/CPUT-GISc

Contact: J RaubenheimerTel: +27 21 959 6207E-mail: [email protected]

111393.indd 1 2013/03/13 11:47 AM

The Importance of Reading

IQ is an abbreviation for Intelligence Quo-tient. This is the number showing how a person’s intelligence compares to that of an

average person. Technology has changed the way we live. We just love being fast at texting, video games and surfing the internet. But we’ve never thought about reading fast and that’s where the “brain enhancement programme” comes in, known as Eye Q.

Libraries, like universities, serve a critical role in improv-ing literacy levels and act as information hubs, often providing a community’s only access to electronic com-munication. African libraries are generally given a low priority by governments and international funders as most have severely deteriorated infrastructure.

Public libraries are being trans-formed into multipurpose com-munity centres that seek to foster a lifelong culture of reading and library attendance. These new “Centres of Excellence” include early childhood development sections, teenage computer games as well as performance and meeting space. They are also serving us as integral components of violence prevention projects in previously crime-ridden cities and sections of black townships.

These information hubs do help in preventing us from being involved in unscrupulous activities, but yet again, are they helping when it comes to serving their pur-pose? In essence, they actually don’t help in reading fast. But when it comes to reading “SMS taal”, nobody seems to encounter a problem and that’s why we’ve become so fast at texting because we write out the words in our own interpretation. We don’t have time to write out: “How are you doing?”, it’s simply “Hud?”.

Funny enough, this is the language we all seem to un-derstand: “Aint nobody got tym 4 bombastic wrds”. The SMS language tends to create a novice language which has become an integral part of the multilingual world. It pursues simple sentence structure for communica-tion, especially between family members. It is assumed that SMS syntactic and lexical choices by texters are not so different from a child’s language.

A child expresses his feelings through simple progres-sive tense, e.g. Eating for ‘I am eating’.

One study showed that an average American teenager sends up to 60 texts a day. However, SMS has also been blamed for the decline in language ability and an in-crease in traffic accidents. This new sub-language has spread worldwide as texters find shortcuts to write their messages as quickly as possible, using the fewest characters. Texting shorthand such as LOL (laugh out loud) and OMG (oh my god) has entered the Oxford English Dictionary.

Speed reading allegedly improves one’s ability to read-ing quickly. Methods involved include, chunking (in psy-

chology, a phenomenon whereby individuals group responses when performing a memory task) and eliminating sub vocalization (inter-nal speech made when reading a word, thus allowing the reader to imagine the sound of the word as it is read).

According to Wikipedia, tests to measure the effect of speed reading on comprehen-sion have generally achieved poor results. A speed reading test sponsored by Staples as part of an e-book promotion, revealed that average college students read about 450 words compared to a third grader who reads 150 words per minute and a world speed reading champion who reads 4 700 words. Sounds crazy right?

At tertiary level one really needs to be able to read fast as lectures are at a very high pace because they assume you are able to meet them halfway as they read about 675 words per minute. Notes are given and reviewed on a daily basis and tests are written regularly and in most cases, you’ve got to make sure that you go over the work done that night, because, that’s when the learning takes place. In class its actually just teaching… you’ll never know if you’ll be getting that surprise test or not the following day, so, it’s better to be safe than sorry (this is why we have always been advised in high school to go over our work on a daily basis).

To answer the question: It’s your IQ that matters as it’s synopsized by the general knowledge as well as the learning information you take in and in most circum-stances, general knowledge just compels you to aspire to find out more about things.

By Lerato Mofokeng

IQ OR EYE Q?


tube. Anyone understands words like Pixels, Megabytes, JPEG, up-load, download, chat. So, if this does not represent “science”, well.

I wrote a radio script called “The Great De-bate” which is a drama-

tisation of one of the turning points in the history of astronomy, when scientists realised that the Uni-verse was far, far bigger than they thought and that our galaxy, the Milky Way, is just one of billions. I won this category and will soon be producing my radio script for one of the local radio stations! This is a major achievement and is so in-spiring.

I am Michelle Knights, a cos-mologist. It means I study the whole Universe and try to un-

derstand it.

When I was little, I watched the stars wondering what they were. I always loved astronomy, but I nev-er believed someone would pay me to do it as a job. That is, until the Square Kilometre Array (www.ska.ac.za) project began sup-porting my studies.

I studied mathematics and physics at Rhodes Univer-sity, followed by an Honours course with the National As-trophysics and Space Sci-ence Programme (www.star.ac.za).

From there, I decided to specialise in cosmology for my Masters and am cur-rently doing my PhD at the University of Cape Town and the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences.

I feel that there’s no point in doing science if no one knows about your discoveries. That’s why I’m passion-ate about science communication and why I took part in the SAASTA Young Science Communicators Competition. The competition challenges scientists to communi-cate their science in new and crea-tive ways.

Science may seem complicated and abstract but in fact, we are surrounded by science and anyone can understand it if they are curi-ous about how the world works.

Look at it this way: anyone under the age of 21 can operate a cell phone, iPad, Facebook, Mxit, You-

FamelabI took part in the first ever Famelab South Africa competition. Famelab (www.famelab.org) is a fantastic

way to get young scien-tists to communicate their work to the public. Called the “pop idols” of science, Famelab is a contest like no other.

Participants have just three minutes to give a talk on any scientific topic using only

props they can take on stage with them, no PowerPoint al-

lowed! After three gruelling, but fun rounds competing against sci-entists from all around the country,

I walked away with the first prize at Scifest in Grahamstown.

The best moment for me, was standing in front of an

audience of 960 people, and hearing an “ooh” ripple

through the crowd as they un-derstood, for the first time, how

we discover planets outside our solar system.

In June 2013, I will represent South Africa at the international Famelab final in the UK.

If, when you imagine a scientist, you picture a crazy old guy locked in an office scribbling equations no-one will see, or a man with grey hair in a labcoat mixing chemicals, you are mistaken.

We are the new generation of sci-entists. We have lots of options. We are young, vibrant and social. We care about sharing our passion for science with the world. We are making amazing new discoveries. And we are proving, every day, that science is for everyone. <

(Top to bot-tom) Michelle Knights, Winner (Jive Media);Michelle do-ing outreach for the SKA project in Thailand (Nadeem Oozeer); Michelle at the Hartebeesthoek Radio Astronomy Observatory; Famelab’s nine finalists; Michelle in front of the 130 year old telescope she helped repair in Grahamstown in 2009 (Emile Lochner).

ELI KASAI, 32Hobbies: Reading, Bodybuilding, Basketball.Interests: Observational Cosmology, Radio Astronomy, Community Service, Science Communication.Future goals: PhD in 2 years, Post-doctoral in the UK or USA in 3-4 years, Professor of Astrophysics at the University of Namibia in 6 years.

I am a first year PhD student in Astrophysics and Observational Cosmology at the University of Cape Town, the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences and the South African Astronomical Observatory. I am originally from a small town called Rundu in north-eastern Namibia. In my research, I make use of data taken with telescopes to look at dying stars known as “supernovae” and use the information to study the dynamics of the universe: how did it start, how much stuff there is in it and what is its fate. How did I get into Science?

The speed of the motion of our planet Earth around the Sun was something that amazed me so much while in my last years of high school. The speed is so enormous and unimaginable that the thought captivated my mind and curiosity greatly. In a desperate attempt to want to know why this was so, I began reading about the works of Sir Isaac Newton and became more and more interested in the findings that I decided I was going to follow a career in Astronomy and Space Science in the future. In my spare time, I work out, play basketball and make time to read novels. I also enjoy watching movies and series once every now and then and occasionally get involved in other outdoor activities such as sightseeing and hiking.

HANNES BREYTENBACH, 25I’m a astrophysics student living in the beautiful mother city, Cape Town, SA. Growing up, I was always driven by an incurable curiosity to find out more about all the marvellous things in nature. I have always been especially fascinated by the stars, what the are, what makes them shine, how do

they evolve and what eventually becomes of them? As a first step, I started out studying physics in my hometown at the University of Pretoria (TUKS). After

graduating I moved to Cape Town and enrolled in the National Astrophysics and Space Science Programme (NASSP) at UCT. During my time here, I have learnt many fascinating things about the universe we live in and met many interesting people who share my curiosity. Astronomy is a very rewarding field of study and there are many amazing opportunities in South Africa for young students.

During my free time, when I’m not stargazing, I enjoy playing guitar and spending time outdoors, either hiking, rock climbing or mountain biking.

ANDRECIA RAMNATH, 23Current study: Masters in PhysicsHobbies, interests: making music, dancing classes, photography and travelGoal for the future: My ultimate goal in life is to be a physicist. My main research interest is high

energy physics (I hope to be the one to discover “the next Higgs boson”)! Modern experiments in this area of physics work towards understanding our universe by studying it’s fundamental building blocks. By smashing atoms into each other at extremely high speeds, physicists try to decipher what flies out of such collisions and why. After getting a doctorate in physics, I intend to work at an international research institute such as CERN (The European Centre for Nuclear Research) in Geneva, Switzerland.

My name is Andrecia Ramnath and I am a 23 year old masters student at the University of Cape Town. My ultimate goal in life is to be a physicist. My main research interest is high energy physics (I hope to be the one to discover “the next Higgs boson”)! Modern experiments in this area of physics work towards understanding our universe by studying it’s fundamental building blocks.

By smashing atoms into each other at extremely high speeds, physicists try to decipher what flies out of such collisions and why. After getting a doctorate in physics, I intend to work at an international research institute such as CERN (The European Centre for Nuclear Research) in Geneva, Switzerland. Besides a burning passion for science, I have many hobbies I like to spend time on: making music, dancing classes, photography and travel to name a few. Life as a scientist has taught me that the world is full of exciting things to learn and experience; all you need is an inquisitive mind! <

2726 >>>HOLA MAHIGH-SCHOOL >>>HOLA MAHIGH-SCHOOL22 23

Science Science

MY FIRST CREDIT CARD

A credit card is issued by a bank for the purchase of goods or services on credit. The main question is what it does to you. It can lead you

into serious debts because of store temptation or social events. It has a credit limit and you can use it just like your ordinary bank card (before you turned 18) but remember: it is a loan to you from the bank.

I spoke to a former high school matriculant, Emma, about her experience with her first credit card after passing her Matric in 2011.

Emma’s storyEmma got caught in the credit card trap during her first year in college. “I started getting offers right after high school via my email address and I felt pretty special that they wanted me as a customer. The first card worked really great. I bought everything I needed. So I got three others during my first year on campus. My mother asked me to cancel them, but thinking of how useful they were, I didn’t. Then I started taking out cash advances. But the bills kept coming, and I didn’t know how I was going to pay them. Suddenly my 24/7 friends vanished into thin air. My mother was pretty upset and my older sister discovered my bank statements. Well, my mother and I had talked a little bit about credit cards before I left home, but it really didn’t sink in.

My family helped me. Before six months I was out of debts and all credit cards were cancelled. I remember how my sister would criticise these folks who issued credit cards at campus. “Aggressive tactics to get students hooked on credit before these young adults know how to use it wisely. A recent study indicated that some students are forced to cut back on their courses or spend more time working to pay off their credit card debt,” said Emma

How can young adults with limited income and no bill-paying history get credit cards? The industry admits that their standards are relaxed for tertiary students because card issuers want to be the first card into their wallet.

Research shows that consumers are more loyal to that first credit card and hold onto it for an average of 15 years. Further, card issuers contend that tertiary students are no greater risk than the general public in defaulting on their payments. However, the industry does not track who actually pays the bill. Too often, parents are bailing out students.

Some credit card issuers do not quote an annual interest rate until they know the applicant’s credit history. People with excellent bill-paying history get the best rates and those with poorer (or no) payment histories pay significantly higher interest.

THE IMPACT OF POOR CREDIT HISTORYWhy should parents and students care about credit card mania on campuses? The ramifications of a poor credit history on a student’s financial future are significant. If a student doesn’t pay bills on time, that poor payment history will be included in a credit history for up to seven years. As a result, the student may not be approved for an apartment, may not get a job offer, may not qualify for a car loan or mortgage, and may be denied certain insurance coverage.

CONCLUSIONThe fact is, credit cards in and of themselves are not a bad. They offer a service which makes it easier to purchase things. They are not a necessity. You no longer need a credit card to do things like rent a car or shop online. Credit cards are not the greatest thing either. It is too easy to abuse your credit cards and run up a huge balance on them. Just be wise enough to have limits on your expenses when it comes to credit cards. Surely you’ll love to borrow money in the future to cover your needs. So don’t think for current events, do think of where is it leading you to: poor or good credit history? It is too easy to overspend, and to suddenly find yourself deeply in debt. It can be discouraging to be several thousand of Rands in debt. If you do not have a credit card, you will not use it. But you can use it wisely if you are smart.

By Rose Morapama

Here is a decidedlypositive article on SouthAfrica. It again proves we

can be proud of our tradition of inventions and being on theforefront of technology. It is not allabout technology, although thisissue is dedicated to science andtechnology. It is about us. As in youand I.

We deliberately use the wordtradition. It is a real hard and toughword. Tradition. It means we must go and do it, because, that is how we have always done it. Successfully.

Here is another take on tradition :As the British evacuated Crete in1941 and the losses were heavydue to the German bombing raids,the admiral was asked to considerstopping the evacuation. He said:“Of course we will carry on. It takesthree years to build a ship, but 300years to build a tradition”. So let usbe a little bit proud today. We havea tradition!

Now, that feels good, doesn’t it?

Ok, here goes, picked from www.southafrica.info

CAT Scan : The computed axialtomography scan, or CAT scan, wasdeveloped at Tufts University inthe UK by South African physicistAllan Cormack and GodfreyHounsfield of EMI Laboratories.Their achievement secured themthe 1979 Nobel Prize in Physiologyor Medicine. Read more: http://www.southafrica.info/business/trends/innovations/inventions.htm#ixzz2OZdB4Uqr

Heart Transplant : The world’s first heart transplant was performed by Dr Chris Barnard in Cape Town on 3 December 1967.

Read more: http://www.southafrica.info/business/trends/innovations/inventions.htm#ixzz2OZePcCsH

Speed Gun : The South Africanmade speed gun, developed by Somerset West inventor Henri Johnson, was formally launched at The Oval in England during the 1999 Cricket World Cup.Read more: http://www.southafrica.info/business/trends/innovations/inventions.htm#ixzz2OZebOnEJ

Kreepy Krauly : The swimming pool vacuum cleaner was invented by Ferdinand Chauvier, a hydraulicsengineer who came to South Africafrom the Belgian Congo in 1951.Read more: http://www.southafrica.info/business/trends/innovations/inventions.htm#ixzz2OZeoxlp1

Pratley’s Putty : Pratley’s famous glue is the only South African invention that has been to the moon. In 1969 the putty was used to hold bits of the Apollo XImission’s Eagle landing crafttogether. Krugersdorp engineerGeorge Pratley invented his famous sticky stuff in the 1960s.Read more: http://www.southafrica.info/business/trends/innovations/inventions.htm#ixzz2OZf4a1rS

Nobel Prize – 8 October 2002 : South African born and educated molecular biologist Sydney Brenner and two of his colleagues was awarded the Nobel Prize for Medicine for their research into the genetic development of organs and the “programmed death” or “suicide” of cells.Read more: http://www.

southafrica.info/about/science/South African Inventionsbrenner.htm#ixzz2OZfheti9

Playpump (Picture courtesyShowMe) : A brilliant South Africaninvention, the PlayPump, turnsthe boring chore of pumpingwater by hand into a fun activityfor children. Ronnie Stuiver ofDelmas in Mpumalanga, adapteda children’s merry-go-round topump water in rural areas. Themechanism converts the rotary

movement of the merry-go-roundinto the reciprocating movementof a water pump, using only twomoving parts. This makes it highlyeffective, easy to operate andmaintain, and very economical.PlayPumps are now used in manyAfrican countries.

Mxit : Mxit, the most popularInstant Message (IM) platformin South Africa, was started byHerman Heunis from Stellenbosch.Mxit was developed because ofthe high cost of SMSs in SouthAfrica, and the need to make itcheap for users to send mobiletext messages to each other acrossmobile data networks. Mxit wasofficially launched in 2006, and isnow used by millions of users in120 countries.

I will finish off with my absolutefavourite – Fire : The first use of fire was recorded at Swartkrans cave some 1.5 million years ago.

Beat that one, anybody! <

South African Inventions

24 >>>HOLA MAHIGH-SCHOOL 25>>>HOLA MAHIGH-SCHOOL

Inventions Money Matters


To this day, many people regard fashion as a women’s world only. Males are too reserved when it comes to fashion. The way

people perceive the word “Fashion” is dif-ferent. Many males are not comfortable going with the trend and actually just look good or just better. They fear comments from society and from their own families but, to be honest, fashion is here to stay. Males are becoming more and more intrigued by Fashion with a capital “F”.

Factors that influence male fashion to be un-popular are designers. Designers mostly focus on female fashion, like the latest Louis Vuitton dress and that diamond stiletto, which leaves guys feeling sidelined and not competent in the fashion industry.

OK, women do buy more clothes than men,hence a reason for focus-ing on a bigger market. But that does not mean there is no market for male fashion.

There are many successful male fashion designers all over the world like, Alex Perry, Adam Lippe, our own David Tlale and Gert Johan Coetzee, just to name a few. These are very dominant in the fashion industry and immensely successful. but these designers are focused on fe-male fashion. This can be changed if people start to focus more on male fashion. And why not? Maybe the male fashion world will move towards a bigger market and capture a good slice of an expanding in-dustry.

Nowadays a male who utters the word “fashionista” is considered to be gay which of course is not true. To be a male and love fashion does not mean anything. Males are good at fashion from what I have seen, they just need to be more into it.

Let’s be honest, going to a concert or a party wearing the business suit is just overrated. It shows lack of fashion sense and to be extremely dull. Being more fashionable gives you that comfortable effect. Wear-ing simple is just too plain and dull. There is a world beyond business attire and ‘khaki klere’. Males should start to feel good in new things, colours and

d i f -ferent

d e s i g n s . Look at it this

way: males are us-ing beauty products like

face wash, eye creams and so on. The world is changing and

I predict that we will see a radical shift in the attitude towards male fash-

ion. And it will not take a million years.

Is it important? Of course it is. Smart and fashion-able creates a good vibe and makes people smile. Happy people are people with a life and that re-quires a free spirit, not one locked away in some dull clothes without soul.

Is it me or have you noticed that women have more freedom when it comes to fashion? To be honest, think of the latest trends, that Gucci heel, that Vic-torian bag and all. No one will say, that Mczeinger pants. The society has a lot of negativity when it comes to male fashion. We tend to judge male fash-ion lovers and forget about the importance of fash-ion. It is not fair on us guys being sidelined by people who “diss” us for being way too much into fashion.

There are a lot of guys who love fashion but are just afraid to show their love for fashion. To be clear with you, show your love and be happy. If we lived by what people say to us then what is being unique? <

By Sifiso Ngwenya

Fashion In A Different Lightinspired ink.unisa press

Research DepartmentUniversity of South Africa

universityof south africaPRESS

www.unisa.ac.za/press

OrdersTel: (012) 429 3515/3448email: [email protected]

MarketingVeronica MkhabelaTel: (012) 429 [email protected]

Learn without limits.


Fashion

IF YOU ARE:

• Still at school and figuring out how to fund further studies; • Currently studying and needing funds to continue or further your studies; • A young adult wanting to study further but needing financial assistance; or• An employer who would like to find a way for his or her employees’ children

to have brighter futures, then this Q & A will guide you and give you a sense of the role that NSFAS plays.

Note: Application for a study loan should be made at the institution where you would like to study, not at NSFAS.

The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) is a loan and bursary administration scheme, operating in terms of Act 56 of 99.

ACTA NSFAS study loan or bursary is for those who do not have the financial means to fund their

NEED A STUDY LOAN OR A BURSARY?

studies and / or cannot access bank funding, study loans or bursaries.

WHAT IS A STUDENT LOAN? The money that you borrow to cover the costs associated with your tertiary studies.

The study loan does need to be repaid

WHAT’S GREAT ABOUT A NSFAS STUDY LOAN? The student loans attract a very low interest rate.

We will grant study loans without need for guarantees or sureties.

Depending on the student’s academic results, portions of the loan can be converted to a bursary.

A very reasonable repayment plan, based on your earnings. All repaid student loans are recycled to fund more needy students.

WHO DO WE ASSIST WITH A STUDY LOAN?Academically deserving students who meet the following criteria:

• A South African citizen; • Registered at a South African university or university of technology; • An undergraduate, studying for a first higher educational qualification; or • Studying for a second higher qualification (if necessary to practise in your chosen profession. Eg: LLB or HDE); • Able to demonstrate potential for academic success; and • In need of financial assistance.

HOW DO YOU GO ABOUT GETTING A STUDY LOAN?

NSFAS does not allocate funds directly to students but here’s the plan:

• First, apply at the educational institution where you are planning to study. Some institutions will issue you with an application for study together with an application for financial aid. You need to enquire from the institution about their processes and deadlines for both.• Submit both applications to the institution and if you have any questions contact the Financial Aid Office (FAO) on campus who will evaluate your ability to succeed in your chosen study direction.

3130 >>>HOLA MAHIGH-SCHOOL >>>HOLA MAHIGH-SCHOOL

Science

Let us mention a few facts: SKA will generate an immense amount of data when it is fully op-erational. This will be approximately one exabyte

per day and that is 10 to the power of 18. Look it up.

I spoke to two of the “front runners” on the computer side: Jasper Horrell and Simon Ratcliffe. The best part of this article is based on their input. This whole super computer environment is rather mind-blowing and far beyond anything I have ever come across.

Let us look at the term “super computer” first. There have been many developments into producing a computer environment that is extremely fast. The trend now is to base it on a huge amount of proces-sors (similar to your PC) and a commercial operating system. That is not Windows 8, by the way.

We are talking thousands of processors, so it is be-yond your desktop. The operating system is typically Linux. These are familiar terms, but when we look

into the future, it does become very “hot”.

Cray and IBM computers are the fastest in the world right now, with Cray Titan as the leader as of Novem-ber 2012. The cost of this gadget is US$97 million and it is used for scientific research. The Cray Titan is situated at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, where it is managed for the United States Department of Energy.

The IBM Sequoia is sitting at Lawrence Livermore Lab in the US.

The SKA project will be creating the world’s most powerful telescope ever. However, without the tools to interpret the data, it is rather difficult to be world-class.

The computer environment is not in use anywhere else in the world as of yet. The computing environ-ment will only be fully operational in 2025. It could be

IBM or Cray or maybe something we haven’t heard of yet. We are talking world-class and leading-edge technology.

Since the SKA project is going to be located in South Africa and Australia, the hosting of the supercom-puter is also said to be distributed between the two countries.

It is not only the size of the computing environment which will present challenges. Supercomputers con-sume vast amounts of power. Current consumption of top-end computers is some 8MW. That is a lot, but when Phase 2 is implemented, the power consump-tion – in total for SKA – will be some 100 – 200 MW. That is like a whole city. SKA is currently compiling re-search with the help of research institutions and vari-ous universities like University of Cape Town to see what is required.

Currently a separate power-line is used for Kat 7. It may accommodate a part of SKA Phase 1. However, there will be a need for additional power lines for Phase 2.

WHAT WILL IT DO FOR US?There will be some 50 people involved in program-ming and running the computer environment. The total amount of people, inclusive of scientist and so on, might be some 150 people. The jobs will span everything from network engineers to programmers to, well, everything really.

Having this massive world-class environment must generate interest among us as students to get a ca-reer in computing or radio-astronomy. As pointed out, this is not just for the elite scientist. High-tech skills are need in many fields and programming skills will be sought.

There are a very few that know about the community of super computing. In South Africa we have a skill shortage as too few students go for subjects like phys-ics and mathematics. Again, full circle. But this can

create an interest far beyond anything.

DID YOU KNOW? The budget for the computing environment will be in hundreds of millions. It is that big.

Universities across the globe are involved in many ways as this is leading-edge technology.

The computer companies involved in this, will have to invest in SA to get the skills required locally to run this. So, there will be much more coming than just a computer.

Now, let us look at this fascinating computer environ-ment.

Linux from Red Hat seems to be the operating system of choice. However, it is designed for massive paral-lel computing and is running the IBM “beast” among nearly all super computers. The IBM computer, Se-quoia, has 98 000 processor,s each addressing 16 GB of memory. Now, that gives you some 1,6 PB. That is Petabyte and is one million gigabytes. It is massive.

The file system is different as well. Typically LUSTRE is used as it is designed for high-end systems. The file system must be able to be fast and capable of ad-dressing all the data storage. As multiple processors are addressing the file systems, the speed of getting the data to the processors is crucial.

There are different languages used for programming. The more commonly known are:• C• C++• Fortran• CUDA• Python

These are just a few of them. Challenge yourself by researching more of them and understanding them. I promise you that it is far more interesting than any-thing I have seen.

SKA (SQUARE KILOMETRE ARRAY)

The Super Computer to interpret all the data generated

Science


The SKA super computer might be programmed using Python. The challenge is that although Python is rea-sonably mature, it does develop and who knows what will be more opportune to use in 2025? We will pos-sibly get a chance to witness it at work when Phase 2 of the SKA is installed by the year 2025.

WHAT IS THE DATA LIKE?Now we move into the field of radio-astronomy, which is what it is all about, of course.

This is a simplistic view, but try to imagine a 3D picture where one of the axis is radio frequencies. That will give you the “feel” for what we are talking about.

What does the output look like? Paper? Screen? I am not sure, but let me show you a picture of what the Cray Titan’s output is. It is a 3D wall, 3m x 10 m. (See pictures on previous pages).

I don’t know if this is what we will see in 10 years time and I doubt Jasper or Simon will guess on that either.

SKA South Af-rica recently an-nounced that it will work with major computing companies IBM

and ASTRON, the Netherlands Institute for Radio As-tronomy, on a multi-year public/private partnership, funded primarily by the Dutch Government, which aims to develop an information technology system for extracting insights from the SKA’s data.

DO YOU WANT TO BE A PART OF THIS?The fields of interest are computing, math, physics, optical astronomy, radio astronomy, astro physics. These are the obvious one’s, but also engineering, ar-chitecture and so on, as all of this must have a home.

IMPACTMake no mistake: With this SA will be a centre of

expertise and excellence in high-end computing. We are world-class and we have the opportunity to attract a lot more such research pro-jects.

It is up to us to make it a suc-cess.

… And remember: in 2025, when Phase 2 of the super computer environment is “live”, you should have finished your university de-grees if you want to be a part of this. This is your op-portunity.

By Thapelo Moloabi

Science

Mohandas Karamchand GandhiYes – him!

“A man is but the product of his thoughts. What he thinks, he becomes.”Aww

“Victory attained by violence is tantamount to a defeat, for it is momentary.” Did anyone say Iraq?

“To call woman the weaker sex is a libel; it is man’s injustice to woman.” We

should listen more to these things

“Truth alone will endure, all the rest will be swept away before the tide of time.”What more can be said?

Deng Xiaoping… and him!

“It doesn’t matter whether the cat is black or white, as long as it catches mice”.Immensely pragmatic. And that was his downfall and greatest statement.

“When our thousands of Chinese students abroad return home, you will see how China will transform itself.” Input please. No man is an island

Benjamin Franklin

“I think the best way of doing good to the poor, is not making them easy in poverty, but leading or driving them out of it.”

“They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty


The Quotes GameQuotes

nor safety.” Never ever give away a slice of your freedom. Never.

Love your Enemies, for they tell you your faults.”So the hangers-on are just there you boost you ego.

“If you desire many things, many things will seem but a few.” Greed again!

Napoleon Bonaparte“The word impossible is not French.”… and neither English, Zulu, …

“The bullet that will kill me is not yet cast.” Oh.

“He who fears being conquered is certain of defeat.” Bravery, please

“Success is the most convincing talker in the world.” This one goes up on the wall in the office

“Never interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake.”

Boris YeltsinJust for the sake of it.

“You can build a throne with bayonets, but it’s difficult to sit on it.”

“We don’t appreciate what we have until it’s gone. Freedom is like that. It’s like air. When you have it, you don’t notice it.”

“Russia must enter the new millennium with new politicians, with new faces, with new, smart, strong, energetic people. And we who have been in power for many years already, we must go.” His farewell speech

I left out Churchill today. I promise it won’t happen again. <


This is not going to be a book review per se.

The last book review was not written by Khensani Maseko!

I made a big mistake. I did not read the first part of the review thoroughly and it simply slipped.

For that, I unreservedly apologise to Khensani. These things should not happen, but, alas, they do.

We do not have a traditional book review this month. But, I would like to use this space to just talk a bit about how I see the future of the book and the newspaper.

Where do we read news? Not in a newspaper anymore. The minute it is printed, it is “old hat”.News snippets are off a website, and I get notified

when there are news items I am interested in.

So why do we buy a newspaper then? To get the fuller story. That is really the reason why.

The danger is if we never buy a newspaper, we will only survive on snippets of information. The classical sound bite.

That, unfortunately, is not the full story and can be compressed into headings. Try to do your next essay as headings only. I am sure you will get either a distinction or an extinction. There is a difference there!

It also means that we have to read very fast, otherwise we will lose out. Now, that is something I would like you to keep in mind and then read Lerato’s article again (see page 6).

Book ReviewSportSport

Badminton: It is played by loads of people all over the world, also in SA. Not a big sport here, but China dominates and that means a lot:

Legend has it that it originated from the very old battledore and shuttlecock game. That is the onewhere the players are batting the shuttlecock to andfro as many times as they can without it going deadon the ground.

Some British officers in India enhanced it with a netsome five feet off the ground and now it basically was tennis with lighter equipment. That was in the 1860s.

Read this explanation which I picked up: One day theDuke of Beaufort had a weekend party at his estate,Badminton House. It started to rain so they had tocancel the tennis game. As all got bored sitting around with their racquet, someone got an idea: “Let’s clear the dining hall, put up a net in the middle, take this cork and put some feathers in it and let’s play!”

It was an instant success and hence Badminton is now an Olympic discipline.

Table tennis: Played by millions and billions. Soon there will be a galactic tournament, I believe.

This is what Wiki says: “The game originated as a sport in England during the 1880s, where it was played among the upper-class as an after-dinner parlour game. It has been suggested that the game was first developed by British military officers in India or South Africa who brought it back with them. A row of books were stood up along the centre of the table as a net, two more books served as racquets and were used to continuously hit a golf-ball from one end of the table to the other. Alternatively table tennis was played with paddles made of cigar box lids and balls made of champagne corks”. Sounds like a bit of improvisation. But did you know it?

Highland games: This is Scotland and a bit “left field”. Although quite a range of events can be a part of the Highland athletics competition, a few have become standard.

• Caber toss: A long tapered pine pole or log is stood

upright and hoisted by the competitor who balances it vertically, holding the smaller end in his hands. Then the competitor runs forward, attempting to toss it in such a way that it turns end over end. If successful, the athlete is said to have turned the caber.

• Scottish hammer throw: In the Scottish event, a round metal ball is attached to the end of a shaft about four feet in length. With the feet in a fixed position, the hammer is whirled about one’s head and thrown for distance over the shoulder.

• Weight throw, also known as the weight for distance event. There are actually two separate events with different weights. The weights are made of metal and have a handle attached either directly, or by means of a chain. The implement is thrown using one hand only, but otherwise using any technique. Usually a spinning technique is employed.

• Weight over the bar, also known as weight for height. The athletes attempt to toss a 56 pound (4 stone) weight with an attached handle over a horizontal bar using only one hand. Each athlete is allowed three attempts at each height.

• Sheaf toss: A bundle of straw (the sheaf) weighing 20 pounds and wrapped in a burlap bag is tossed vertically with a pitchfork over a raised bar, much like that used in pole vaulting. There is significant debate among athletes as to whether the sheaf toss is in fact an authentic Highland event. Some argue it is actually a country fair event, but all agree that it is a great crowd pleaser.

• Maide Leisg (Scots Gaelic meaning ‘Lazy Stick’): Trial of strength performed by two men sitting on the ground with the soles of their feet pressing against each other. Thus seated, they hold a stick between their toes which they pull against each other until one of them raises from the ground. The oldest ‘Maide Leisg’ competition in the world takes place at the Carloway show and Highland Games on the Isle of Lewis.

How do you like that?

Sports – But DifferentHave you ever wondered where and how the different sports originated?

Here are some theories.

Success Success

39>>>HOLA MAHIGH-SCHOOL38 >>>HOLA MAHIGH-SCHOOL

Michelle LaVaughn Robinson is the first African-American first lady of the United States. She was born in 1964, raised in

Chicago and grew up in a two-story house. She attended Princeton University and Harvard Law School where she obtained her Juris Doctor (J.D.). She has her majors in sociology, minored in African American studies and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in 1985. That is a very educated woman indeed. She worked at the law firm Sidley Austin and this is where she met Barack Obama, the coming President of the United States. Michelle is not just Barack’s wife, but an efficient campaigner, and that without a doubt played a huge role towards Barack Obama’s success. This is evident in the years 2007 and 2008 where she was instrumental in raising funds for her husband’s presidential bid. During the campaign she discussed race and education by using motherhood as a framework.

What really make her stand out is the ability of taking criticism from the media, listening to it and turning it into her strengths. And that is what most current leader’s lack: critical analysis. Michelle stated ‘’When you are out campaigning, there will always be criticism. I just take it in my stride. At the end of the day, I know that it comes with the territory’’.

This statement put out by Michelle clearly indicates the confidence she has in herself and a reflection of how the media will not control her.

By the time of the 2008 Democratic National Convention in August, media outlets observed that her presence on the campaign trail had grown softer

than at the start of the race, focusing on soliciting concerns and empathizing with the audience rather than throwing down challenges to them… well, it is debatable but it does not take away her ability to approach people and convince them to believe in the change she promise to bring.

In a way, she was more active in the campaign than Barack, as if she wanted this more than her husband.

Concluding on this, we cannot take away the fact she became relevant and played a major role in the campaigns, appearing as a better campaigner than Barack. She is currently working on another campaign against obesity.

She clearly breaks the stereotypes behind the “president’s wife”. When you think of a president’s wife it is rather detrimental because you think of designer clothes, luxury life, making an appearance at red carpet events with no relevant reason apart from being the ‘’president’s wife”. But looking at Michelle would change your perspective because she

re-defines what a real first lady looks like: a support structure, a mother, a wife, a public figure who started from the bottom and now she is there.

In May 2006, Essence listed her among “25 of the World’s Most Inspiring Women”. I am not surprised because she really stands up for what she believes in. I guess that is what most lawyers have in common. Her qualities are outstanding. Other initiatives of first lady Michelle Obama includes advocating on behalf of military families, helping working women balance career and family, encouraging national service, and promoting the arts and arts education. She supports military families and also some Republicans. Now you tell me which other president’s wives do you know that are as politically active as Michelle and trying to

make a change in their countries?

The next question one would ask is: how is she unique compared to other ‘’strong’’ first ladies before her? Well, I will compare her to these former First Ladies.

This is what Wikipedia says about them:

Rosalynn Carter: Was a leading advocate for numerous causes, perhaps most prominently for mental health research. She was politically active in her White House years as her husband’s closest adviser and sat in on Cabinet and policy meetings. She also served as an envoy abroad, most notably to Latin America.

Hillary Rodham Clinton: American politician who was the United States Secretary of State from 2009 to 2013, serving under President Barack Obama. She was previously a United States Senator for New York from 2001 to 2009. As the wife of President Bill Clinton, she was also the First Lady of the United States from 1993 to 2001. In the 2008 election, Clinton was a leading candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination, campaigning against Barack Obama for the presidency.

Michelle Obama is highly educated and smart. She is one of only three first ladies to hold a graduate degree. This is inspirational: as much as she is the president’s wife, she does not depend on it because she is a force to be reckoned with in her own right.

She was Barack’s mentor. The two met in 1988, when he was a summer associate at law firm Sidley Austin. Michelle was assigned to be his summer adviser. It is very rare to find a wife being a mentor of her own husband, so this really puts a spark in my mind and for a moment I think to myself: maybe she was supposed to be the president. What really amazes me, is the fact she is more popular than her husband. According to a May 2012 Gallup poll, 66% of Americans have a favourable view of Michelle. The poll showed that only 55% of Americans would say the same for Barack, so this by far clearly indicates she is the most popular first lady the United States has ever had. Her hunger for success and the changes she wants to implement, makes her more influential than other former first lady’s the US has ever produced.

A lot can be learned from Michelle Obama as a person and not only as the wife of the president. She knows what it is like to be working and is happy to talk

about her experiences. In 2008, she told Ladies Home Journal: “Finding balance has been the struggle of my life and my marriage, in being a woman, being a professional, being a mother. And Barack has to find that balance, too, as part of the family. What women have the power to do, through their own experiences, is to push that balance out into the culture. If people are happier, more engaged and they have jobs they can value, that will allow them to respect and value their home, and that makes the family stronger.” Do I need to say more?

So far in this article, I have been talking of Michelle as this perfect soul. Surely you will think I am obsessed with her perfection, but she is not perfect, and she is happy with that. For example, she admits to being impatient and unsure of herself at times, which makes the rest of us feel a little less lame. When asked about adapting to her new life, Michelle told Good Housekeeping “(I’m) continuing to tell myself to be patient. It’s like standing up straight. Just be patient. Things take time.” So from her not being perfect, we learn the importance of patience.

She recognizes and encourages female leaders. Women around the world, who have shown leadership, courage, resourcefulness and willingness to sacrifice for others, deserve the recognition.

We have few women who have leadership skills which are relevant in terms of being in control. We lack a lot of visionaries. This leads to gender inequality. In most cases this cannot be blamed on men, because, as much as there are opportunities waiting to be grabbed with both hands, females must not fear the responsibilities that come with the task ahead. What do you do when you see women like Michelle Obama pushing beyond the expectations of a “President‘s wife”? Does it not trigger a thought of ‘’if she can do it, what stops me’’.

All I can say is, there is still a lot people can learn from her and indeed she is the best and most popular first lady the USA has ever had. Do not be surprised when she over-takes her husband. Her true potential is yet to be unleashed.

I am wishing her all the best in the future, and may her hard work and determination inspire many more people out there who are trying to make a difference.

As much as she is an African-American woman, I would like to end this in South African style ‘’Wathinta abafazi, wathinta imbokodo’’. You strike a women, you strike a rock. <

Michelle Obama A Person In Her Own Right


Think it OverThink it Over

>>>HOLA MAHIGH-SCHOOL40

Here are a few logical things for you to think about!

If you can’t guess it, you may have another guess.

The Missing R2Three bright young high-school students decide to go for coffee at the local coffee shop.

They have a wonderful time and now it is time to get a move on. The waiter comes along with the bill: R55-00.

Each of our three friends hurl a R20 in the kitty. The waiter shoots to the back, puts the R55-00 in the till and looks at the R5-00. How is he to divide R5-00 between three students. He is fast and puts the R2-00 in his pocket and parts with R1-00 to each of the students. No problem.

This is easy math:Bill: R55.00R20 from each student: R60.00Change: R 5.00 Waiter takes the R2-00 R 2.00Leftover R 3.00Each student received a R1-00 R 3.00 R 0.00

Simple. But hey. That means that:

Each student paid R20.00 less R1.00 = R19-00.

That means 3 x R19.00 R57.00Add the R2.00 the waiter took R 2.00Total R59.00

Where did the last R1-00 go?

The old vinyl recordHave you seen those? OK, here goes:

A record is 30 cm across. The very edge is 1 cm. We

don’t count that one. The center piece is where the label is and is 14 cm across. We have 90 grooves per 1 cm. How far has the needle travelled when the record is finished?

The man who got lost

A man was driving through the Karoo desert and got lost. He also knew there were two motorcycle gangs in the area. One gang would always tell the truth, and the other always tell a lie.

Finally he gets to a T-junction. No signs. And he knows one of the routes will take him to Outspankraal where he wants to go. Lo and behold, a motorcycle gang is sitting and having coffee at the T-junction. But which gang? Which question must he ask for getting on the right track to Outspankraal?

The fathers and sonsTwo fathers and two sons went hunting. Each one shot a bird and only one bird. But only three birds were shot.

What?

The window which doubled in size

An artist, making great pictures, had finally found a great place. It was just facing South so the light was not as it should be. His friend, a famous architect, had a look at it and said: “The window you have

is exactly one meter high and one meter wide. I can make it twice as big for you”. The artist was delighted and bought into it.

However, when he came round next time, sure enough, the window was double the size, but still only one meter wide and one meter high. HOW SO?

Do believe that a window can be another shape but a rectangle? What now if it is a triangle?

So, by just knocking out the additional space, the window got doubled, but still only 1 m high and 1 m wide.

Have you got it? See on right what the solutions are.

The Missing R2Well, see. The first calculation is spot-on. The next is wrong. You are both subtracting and adding in the same equation. That will bring you nowhere.

It should read:

Each student paid R20-00 less R1-00 = R19.00That means 3 * R19.00 R57-00SUBTRACT the R2-00 the waiter took R 2.00Total R55.00Which was the bill to be paid!

The fathers and sonsEasy. First we have the grandfather, then we have his son which is also a father, and his son. Three genera-tion = three birds. The grandfather has a son. That son is both a son and a father at the same time.

The old vinyl recordYou are getting confused. The grooves has got nothing to do with it. That sentence is just there to trick you. Listen. It is not the need which is running around. It is the record!. That means that needle is only travelling from the edge to the label. That means: ½ of record = 30/2 = 15 cm. then we subtract the label business: ½ of 14 cm = 14/2 = 7. The we deduct the edge. 1 cm.

In total: 15 – 7 – 1 = 7 cm. and that is the distance the needle travels. From the edge to the label.

The window which doubled in size. Do be-lieve that a window can be another shape but a rectangle? What now if it is a triangle?

So, by just knocking out the additional space, the window got doubled, but still only 1 m high and 1 m wide.

The man who got lost He should ask: “I need to get to Outspank-raal. Which route would the other tribe say I should take?”

Let’s imagine he needs to go left. OK. If it is the gang who always tells the truth, they would point right, knowing that the other tribe is always lying; hence they would have said, go right. If it is the gang who always lies, they would have said go right; because they would know that the other gang, always telling the truth would have said go left. So, he will know that he should go left!

Did you like these? More to follow one day.

1 mLet’s double

the size

4342

Current Affairs Current Affairs

>>>HOLA MAHIGH-SCHOOL >>>HOLA MAHIGH-SCHOOL 4342

Why did North Korea test their nuclear weapon despite numerous calls for them to refrain from doing so? Could it have

been a serious case of arrogance, defiance of the world order, or could it actually be plausible that North Korea actually had legitimate reasons for testing their nuclear weapon for the third time in the last decade.

Yes, they have done it before, two times, in 2006 and again in 2009 and as if that was not reason enough to tell the world that they had working nuclear weapons, they just had to try it out again earlier this year. Now that is being thorough!

Before we unpack the reasons for this event and the situation that has since come of it, I must just clarify a bit of background. Receiving a talk of the North Korean ambassador himself just over a week ago, I must indeed refer to the country as the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea-DPRK (the irony), as he insisted. After all, one would assume that in a sensitive and volatile case such as this one, being politically correct means everything…

I underlined the word democratic in the name of the country above. If a country like the DPRK can refer to itself as a people’s democracy then what is a democracy?

A democracy is essentially a government for the people, by the people. It is a government where supreme power is entrusted with the people and this power is then exercised by them or by representatives that are chosen by the people under a ‘free electoral system’ like South Africa.

Taking this definition into consideration, assess for yourself if it can be applied to the DPRK. The DPRK is a country that lives virtually in isolation, they strongly believe in self-reliance, it virtually has no diplomatic relations with the international community. It has been described, by many experts, as a dictatorship which is run by one family, the Jong family.

Leadership has been handed down from Kim Il-Jong (the founder of DPRK) to his son Kim Jong-II and then to his 29 year old son, Kim Jong-un, who is apparently a huge fan of basketball.

The people have never been afforded the opportunity to elect their own leader, but then again, they have not risen up in arms against the current leadership. Perhaps they don’t know any better. And that could be, as nobody has access to the internet or international TV.

The army is a force well looked after. Just over 80% of the DPRK’s money goes to sustaining the military. It is

the driving/controlling force of the country.

Democratic? Not so much, in my opinion.

There are various reasons which the ambassador highlighted led to the testing of the nuclear weapons. First and foremost for protection – from who? Why, the United States of America of course.

This is not completely outrageous. After all, we had the Korean War from 1950 to 1953 which resulted in the creation of a North Korea (DPRK) and South Korea.

The US was heavily involved under the auspices of the United Nations (UN), but even so. And even more: In 1999, the then president, George Bush, made a speech and in it spoke about the axis of evil, naming countries like the DPRK that needed to be handled with force.

Secondly, DPRK wanted to consolidate their power and also to send a message to the world and essentially to their arch enemy the US, that they cannot be intimidated, nor would they back down from any challenge. It seems they are ready for this.

The ambassador highlighted that the DPRK is a firm believer in peace and one of the means in which they can achieve and maintain it, is to ensure that they can protect themselves. But, how does that work then? Was the respectable ambassador implying that world peace can be achieved through all countries having nuclear weapons? I hope that was not what he was implying.

But, looking at the situation that has come of this nuclear testing and the hostility that has since been created between the DPRK and other regions aroun around the world, one cannot help but wonder if there are internal power politics at play.

There could be a budding power struggle between Kim Jong-un and the military, which may feel that Jong-un is not a strong enough leader and therefore needs to be replaced. It is not far fetched, as the military generals are by and large also family.

The ambassador highlighted on more than one point that the DPRK is a united country and that one of its greatest goals is to reunite with South Korea.

Either way, there are some serious underlying issues within the context of the DPRK and they continue to escalate. In recent times the DPRK was disillusioned

by one of its long-time allies, China, who virtually provides everything from food to all clothing and technology to the DPRK.

China voted for the recent set of sanctions placed on the DPRK. This has never happened before as China has always shielded DPRK. China has not cut ties with the DPRK just yet, but, if they do, the implications for the DPRK could be dire.

The country would experience great levels of famine and this could result in a revolt by the people against the current leadership and the world would witness another Arab-Spring-like revolution.

The fact that China is in support of these sanctions is interesting mainly because while it is important for China to strengthen its ties with the world rather than the DPRK who, if we are honest, does not have much to offer, they do not want to facilitate (by cutting ties) the opportunity where North and South Korea may ever consider joining forces.

Such a united Korea would benefit the USA most in terms of the further spread of its own policy objectives through the South. But one cannot help but wonder that if China did indeed have to choose between having ties with regions within the world and the DPRK, who would it choose? Pretty obvious, I would assume.

Essentially this nuclear testing opened a can of worms and created a view into what the real situation in the DPRK may actually be.

Family rifts and the battle for power between the young leader and the military could, in essence, lead to a nuclear war, yes. We have seen that this is a nation that is not afraid of utilising such extreme measures and that no amount of sanctions and warning by the UN will deter them from what it is they want to achieve.

One of the striking points that were mentioned by the ambassador, was that the country saw it fit to spend a bulk of the country’s money on the development of nuclear weapons as opposed to addressing the direct needs of the people. He said that this was because such weapons are for the greater good of the people and for their own protection.

Now, I do not know much about a lot of things, but I do realise that in any country and in any situation, the people and their needs should come first, otherwise who are we fighting for? <

North Korea: FACTS, FICTION, MYTHS & LIES

This picture, taken by North Korea’s official Korean Central

News Agency on April 15, 2012, shows North Korea

leader Kim Jong-un waving as he reviews a military parade commemorating the 100th birth anniversary of former

North Korean President Kim Il-sung in Pyongyang.

Kim Jong-un delivered his first public speech and vowed to push for a stronger military.

(KNS/AFP/Getty Images).

Tertiary education

2nd Chance matric rewrite

Your own business

Career guidance

Skills development training

A job

StartStartherehere20132013

The only person who can make things happen is you.

@NYDARSA

National Youth Development Agency

0800 52 52 52 • www.nyda.gov.za OUR YOUTH. OUR FUTURE.

I AMLIMITLESS

Start here campaign_nte.indd 1 2013/02/15 3:06 PM

Print ready hola mahigh school volume 3 issue 3 2013

Documents

film tv industry

television industry

audiovisual industry

gem gauteng film commission

hard questions

hard times

broadcast television

super computer